Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
HOUMA, La. (AP) — Terrebonne Parish's largest employer will increase the size of its staff for the first time in five years.
The Courier reports (http://bit.ly/1kqlmNI ) the Terrebonne Parish School Board held a short meeting Wednesday night to solicit comment on the proposed $207 million Terrebonne Parish School District budget for fiscal year 2014-15.
The proposed budget creates 31 new full-time positions, including 19 new elementary school teachers, four middle and high school teachers and two assistant principals. The additions increase the district's total workforce to 2,362.
The newly announced budget brings to an end a long trend of eliminations through attrition, whereby employees who left the district or retired would not be replaced by new hires. The workforce is still smaller than it was in 2010, however, when the district employed 2,575 people.
The overall budget represents a cut from the final 2013-14 budget of $208.9 million.
For the first time in five years, the school board succeeded in establishing a balanced budget on its first attempt, said Becky Breaux, finance director for the district.
"This is the first time we were able to put together a budget that we didn't have to change," Breaux said.
It is also the first time since the 2008-09 fiscal year that the district anticipates a slight growth in the revenues gleaned from the state's minimum foundation program, Breaux said, which accounts for just under half of the district's entire revenue pool. The foundation money will increase by 2.75 percent.
"This is the first time we were able to put together a budget that we didn't have to change," Breaux said.
It is also the first time since the 2008-09 fiscal year that the district anticipates a slight growth in the revenues gleaned from the state's minimum foundation program, Breaux said, which accounts for just under half of the district's entire revenue pool. The foundation money will increase by 2.75 percent.
___
Information from: The Courier, http://www.houmatoday.com
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
